Railway signaling system.



W. V. MOAK.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, 1912. 1,102,783. Patented July 7, 1914.

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INVENTOR WITNESSES I 2- W M ATTORNEY 'IHE NORRIS PET HRS CG. PHOTO-LITHOWASHINGTON. D. C.

I w. v. M0 AK. RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, 1912.

1,102,783. Patented July 7, 1914.

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W. V. MOAK.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, 1912.

Patented July 7, 1914.

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WILLIAM V. ll EOAK, 0F SCI-IENECTADY, NEVT YORK, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE UNION SWITCH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OFPENN- SYLVANIA.

RAILVTAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July '7, 1%14.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM V. Moan, acitizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county ofSchenectady and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Railway Signaling Systems, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to automatic railway signaling systems in which thesignals usually indicate danger or stop, and particularly to what isknown in the art as three-position signaling systems.

I will describe a railway signaling system embodying my invention andthen point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing aportion of a railway signaling system embodying my invention. Figs. 2and 8 are views similar to Fig. 1, but showing the positions of theparts of the system as affected by the presence of a car or train at twopoints in the system.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring now to Fig. 1, I here show a portion of a railway trackcomprising the first few block sections of a signaling system embodyingmy invention. It is understood that each succeeding block section of thesystem will be equipped as shown and described for the block sections Cand D. The railway is divided into the block sections A, B, C and D,etc., in any suitable manner; as here shown, it is divided by means ofinsulation 5 in both lines of rails, although I do not wish to belimited to this specific means. For block sections B, C, D and eachsucceeding block section, I provide signals S, S, etc, each adapted togive danger, caution and clear indications. As here shown these signalsare of the one-arm three-position type, but it is understood thattwo-arm, two-position signals may be equally well employed. Section A isnot provided with a signal for the reason that it is a preliminarysection andis employed only to operate signals S and S in advance of anapproaching train.

F or each block section I provide a track circuit comprising as usualthe two opposite rails of the block section (or portions of them), asource of current 6, and a relay 7. As here shown, the ource of current6 is a direct current track circuits, since my in vention may be equallywell applied to track circuits energized by alternating current,pulsating current, etc. It will be noticed that in each block sectionthe source of current is located adjacent the entrance end of thesection and the relay adjacent the exit end. For each track circuitafter the first (track section A) I provide a pole-changer 14, 15 or 16by means ofwhich the polarity of the current supplied to the trackcircuit may be controlled. As here shown, each of these pole-changerscomprises armature contacts of the track relay for the track circuit inthe rear, so that the polarity of the current in each track circuit iscontrolled by the track circuit in the rear. Each of the track relays 7after the first (track section A) is provided with a polarized armature20 or 21, which as usual is open or closed according to the polarity ofthe current in the corresponding track circuit.

For each signal I provide a signal relay 8, 9 or 10, etc, each of whichrelayscomprises a neutral armature 22, 24 or 26, and a polarizedarmature 23, 25 or 27. The circuit for the caution position of eachsignal is controlled by the neutral armature of the corresponding signalrelay, and the circuit for the clear position of each signal iscontrolled by the polarized armature of the orresponding signal relay.These controlling circuits for the signals are also controlled by a backneutral contact and by the polarized armature of the track relay for thetrack circuitin the rear, in such manner that neither of the controllingcircuits can be closed unless the track relay is either deenergized orit polarized armature closed. For example, the controlling circuit forthe caution position of signal S is from battery 11 through wire 28,neutral contact 18 or polarized contact 20 of relay 7, wire 29, neutralcontact 24 of relay 9, wire 80, signal S and wire 33 to battery 11. Thecircuit for the control of the clear position of this signal is the sameas that just traced as far as and including wire 29, then throughpolarized contact 25, wire 82, signal S and wire 33 to battery 11.

Each signal relay is included in a circuit with a source of current, andas here shown this circuit is controlled by a neutral contact of thetrack relay for the corresponding block section and by a polechanger l,or P operated by the signal next in advance] For example, the circuitincluding relay 9 is as follows-from battery 11 at signal S throughpole-changer P, wire 34:, relay 9, wires 35, 36 and 31, polechangerP,wire 37, armature contact 19 wire 28 to battery 11. It will be notedthat this circuit will be open when contact 19 is open by the presenceof a car or train in block section C or for other reasons. When thecircuit just traced is closed, the neutral armature 24 of relay 9 willbe closed; and the polarized armature 25 will be closed or openaccording to the polarity of the current in the circuit as determined bythe polechanger P. The pole-changers P and P are so arranged that whenthe signal to which each isconnected is in the danger position thepolarized contact of the preceding signal relay will be opened, but whenthe signal is in caution or clear position, the

I said polarized contact will be closed, provided of course that theneutral relay contact included in this circuit is closed. It will benoted that when no block section is occupied by a car or train, allsignals will indicate danger, for the reason that all neutral relayarmatures 17, 18 and 19 are closed, and the polarity of the trackcircuits'is such that polarized armatures 20 and 21 are open.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3,1 will explain the operation of thesystem as affected by thepresence of a car or train in sections A and B.In Fig. 2 I show a pair of wheels and axle W in section A. Relay 7 ofthis block section is short-circuited and its armature contacts 14; areopened, thereby reversing the polarity of current in the track circuitof block section B, so that the polarized armature contact 20 of relay 7for that sees tion is closed. When this occurs, the caution circuit ofsignal S is closed as hereinbefore explained, armature 24 being alreadyclosed. Signal S therefore moves to caution position. Theshort-circuiting of relay 7 of block section A. by the wheels. WV alsocloses back contact 17 and the caution circuit for signal S is therebyclosed, armature contact 22 being already closed. The movement of signalS to caution position reverses the pole-changer l and the current thenflows through signal relay 8 in such direction as to close the polarizedarmature 23, thereby closing the clear position circuit of signal S,which then moves to clear position. The parts of the system will then bein the positions shown in Fig. 2. Referring now to Fig. 8, as the car ortraln represented by wheels and axle W moves into block-- section B, itshort-circuits relay 7 forthat block section, opening the front point ofcontact 18 of that relay and thereby opening the controlling circuit ofsignal relay 8.

The. armatures of this relay are thereby opened and signals moves todanger position behind the car or train. The polarized i armatures 28,25 and 27' of'relays 8, 9 and 10 are preferably biased tothe open position, so that when any one'of these'relays is deenergized after thepolarized contact has been closed, the polarized contact will positivelyopen. The closing of track relay 7 forsection A also opens thecontrolling circuits for this signal at contact 17. The

'short-circuiting of relay 7 also reverses polechanger 15, therebyclosing the polarized armature contact 21 of relay 7- for block-sectionC. Contact 26 of relay 10 being already closed, the caution circuit ofsignal S is' then closed, and this signal assumes the caution pos1t1on.The operation of polecha nger P by signal S affects the circuit ofsignal relay 9 to cause the relay to close-its polarized armature 25,thereby closing the clear position circuit of signals, which signal thenmoves to clear position. The control of the circuits for signal S" alsopasses from polarized contact 20 to the back point of netural contact18. The reason for includ ing the back point of contact 18 in thecontrol circuits for signal Sis that when re.

lay 7 is d'eenergized after contact 20 is closed, even if contact "20should remain closedit would not be certain that its pressure would besufficient to provide a contact of sufiiciently low resistance to holdsignal i S in clear position. The parts of the system will then be inthe position shown in' Fig. 3. The operation of the'system due=to theprogress of a car or train through the succeeding block sections wouldbe similar to that hereinbefore explained, henceno furt-her explanationis necessary, 1

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of signalingsystem embodying my invention, it is understood that variousmodifications may be made,

therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: t l

1. In a railway signaling system, three successive block sections, asignal for the third section adapted to indicate danger and caution, asignal for the second section adapted to indicate danger and clear; atrack circuit for each block section each including a source of currentand a track relay, a pole-changer included in the second track circuitand'comprised in the relay of the first track circuit, a polarizedarmature included in the relay of the second track circuit andresponsive to changes of polarity in the second track circuit, a signalrelayfor the signal of the third block section, a cir-' cuit for saidsignal relay includinga source of current'and an'armature contact ofthetrack relay for the third block. section, a caution indicationcircuit for the signal of the third block section, which circuitincludes a. contact of the said signal relay and a contact of the saidpolarized armature of the track relay for the second track circuit, asignal relay for the signal of the second block section and including apolarized armature; a circuit for the last named relay including asource of current, a neutral armature contact of the track relay for thesecond track circuit and a pole-changer operated by the signal for thethird block section; and a clear indication circuit for the signal ofthe second block section which circuit includes a contact of the saidpolarized armature of the corresponding signal relay and a back contactof the track relay for the first track circuit,

2. In a railway signaling system, a plurality of successive blocksections, a track circuit for each section each including a source ofsignaling current and a track relay, each of said track relayscomprising a neutral and a polarized armature, a polechanger included ineach track circuit and comprised in the track relay for the trackcircuit in the rear, a signal for each block section each adapted toindicate danger, caution and clear; a pole-changer operated by eachsignal; a signal relay for each signal each comprising a neutralarmature and a polarized armature; a. controlling circuit for thecaution indication of each signal each including the neutral armature ofthe corresponding signal relay, and a polarized contact of the trackrelay for the block section in the rear; a controlling circuit for theclear indication of each signal each including the polarized armature ofthe corresponding signal relay and aback contact of the neutral armatureof, the track relay for the block section in the rear; and a circuit foreach signal relay each including a source of current, a neutral armaturecontact of the track relay for the corresponding block section, and thepole-changer of the signal next in advance.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM V. MOAK. Witnesses:.

E; K. WHITE, W. H. JONES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

